Pyrogenically produced silicon oxides are distinguished by an extreme fineness and a correspondingly high specific surface, very high purity, spherical particle form and the absence of pores. Because of these properties, pyrogenically produced silicon oxides are becoming increasingly more interesting as carriers for catalysts (D. Koth, H. Ferch, Chem. Ing. Tech. 52, p. 628 (1980).
Since the particles of pyrogenically produced silicon oxides are especially fine, their deformation to catalytic carriers or catalysts presents several problems.
Published German Patent Application DE-OS 31 32 674 teaches a method for producing pressed parts of pyrogenically produced silicon oxides in which silica sol is used as a binding agent.
Published German Patent Application DE-OS 34 06 185 teaches a method for producing pressed parts in which glazed frit powder is used as a binding agent and glycerol is used as a lubricant.
German Patent DE-PS 21 00 77 teaches the addition of granulates based on pyrogenically produced silicon dioxide in order to produce e.g. vinyl acetate monomer as a catalytic carrier.
These known methods have the disadvantage that the pressed parts obtained do not exhibit the desired optimum properties such as e.g. a high breaking strength for certain catalytic reactions such as e.g. the production of vinyl acetate from ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen or the hydration of ethylene to ethanol.